Few countries have faced
terrorism so severely as Sri Lanka – Lord Neseby

Statingfew democratically
elected governments have faced terrorism as severely as Sri Lanka , Lord
Naseby challenged the United Kingdom to deliver money promised by the
Blair government for rebuilding in Sri Lanka.

Lord Naseby writing in the latest issue of the Royal Commonwealth
Society Magazine said, "The Challenge for the UK is to deliver money
promised by the Blair government for reconstruction. Those Labour MP’s who
have Tamils in their constituencies should stop playing politics. They
should tell the Diaspora to stop funding the Tigers so that ordinary
Tamils can enjoy peace and rebuild their lives."

Lord Naseby , who is the Chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Group
on Sri Lanka further said in the magazine that Sri Lanka had faced
terrorism for over 25 years, resulting in vast devastations, that needed
massive reconstructions. He said, The Tamil Tigers were elected by no one,
their sole objective was to achieve Eelam at any cost. And at what cost,
he queried pointing out that Prime Minister Gandhi and President Premadasa
had been assassinated; hundreds of moderate Tamils murdered; child
soldiers recruited in their hundreds to be put on the front line and
killed. "No wonder these terrorists are proscribed in the US, Canada, the
UK, the EU and other countries," he said.

Making a strong case for Sri Lanka the Lord said, "Sri Lanka has been a
valued member of the Commonwealth since independence. It was one of the
original signatories to the London declaration and today holds key
positions in four Commonwealth bodies."

He said that Tamil Tigers were making a final stand dragging over
100,000 innocent civilians with them. The Lord said every international
agency had appealed to the Tigers to release the civilians, yet still they
refused. "So much for caring about the Tamil people! Few democratically
elected governments face terrorism on this scale," he said.

Lord Naseby added, "Yet the armed forces are disciplined: no civilian
casualties were reported on the drive to Kilinochchi. Even now, there are
little or no air or artillery strikes for fear of harming civilians and
the Red Cross and the UN have been given access to the temporary refugee
camps."

The Lord further said, in the meantime, the government of Sri Lanka
continued to take human rights seriously and the country’s talented people
must be allowed to continue to serve the Commonwealth. He strongly stated
how some Labour Party members had initiated proposal to suspend Sri Lanka
from the Commonwealth: "There should be no question of suspension"